Albums that slipped past ‘Rolling Stone’

Last week, Rolling Stone magazine released their “Top 50 Albums of 2016” list, and it’s not bad. For the most part. However, in my opinion, Rolling Stone left out some major players. Here are a few of my favorite records from 2016 that went unacknowledged:

5. Anderson .Paak-Malibu

With Malibu, Anderson .Paak proved he deserved that Dr. Dre co-sign. Combining genres of soul, R&B, funk, jazz, and hip-hop, .Paak comes through with an eclectic collection of sunny, infectious tunes that draw upon the past just as much as they look to the future.

4. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard-Nonagon Infinity

Prolific Australian psych rock outfit King Gizzard is back with a vengeance in 2016. On Nonagon Infinity, the band muscles through nine dizzying, abrasive tracks that flow seamlessly into each other. And what’s better, the album’s end loops back to the start, so listeners have the ability to engross themselves in Gizzard’s guttural guitar riffs and relentless rhythms infinitely.

3. Joey Purp-iiiDrops

Chicago native and Chance the Rapper-affiliate Joey Purp sprinkles just enough pop rap onto his hardcore hip-hop to give his socially-conscious sound some mainstream appeal. And the result, iiiDrops, is truly something else.

2. Weezer-Weezer (White Album)

I know what you’re thinking. It’s 2016 and we’re still talking about Weezer?!! Trust me, I’d just about written Weezer off myself. But the White Album sees Weezer ridding themselves of desperate vies for radio singles and harkening back to the innocence of their 90s output with a twinge of California sunshine pop. Don’t hate until you’ve given it a listen, because Weezer’s still got it!

Kendrick Lamar-untitled. unmastered.

untitled. unmastered. gives us aglimpse of a radically different Kendrick Lamar than the one who stole out hearts with records like To Pimp a Butterfly (2015), but it’s a Kendrick that is just as enjoyable. Low-fi, grimy, and stripped-down, Kendrick proves that he doesn’t need glossed-up studio treatment to make an impact. He also proves that his b-sides are better than most of today’s rap LPs. Kendrick Lamar basically shits gold.